Method and apparatus for simulating tire performance, and recording medium

Abstract

A method of simulating tire performance of the present invention includes the steps of: (a) preparing a tire model by dividing a patterned tire, which includes a pattern formed from a plurality of land portions, into plural parts, and expressing each part by a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements, and combining a plurality of the part models; (b) expressing a suspension as a suspension model formed from a large number of divisional elements; and (c) analyzing performance of the patterned tire in a state in which the patterned tire is in use, by using, as one numerical computational model, a first numerical computational model including the tire model and a second numerical computational model including the suspension model. In accordance with the present invention, when simulating tire performance, creation of a model and change between plural patterns can be easily performed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of simulating tire performance, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) preparing a tire model by dividing a patterned tire, which includes a pattern formed from a plurality of land portions, into plural parts, and by expressing each part by a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements, and by combining a plurality of the part models;    (b) expressing a suspension as a suspension model formed from a large number of divisional elements; and    (c) analyzing performance of the patterned tire in a state in which the patterned tire is in use, by using, as one numerical computational model, a first numerical computational model including the tire model and a second numerical computational model including the suspension model.    
     
     
         2 . An apparatus for simulating tire performance, comprising: 
 first storing means for storing a first numerical computational model and a second numerical computational model, the first numerical computational model including a tire model prepared by dividing a patterned tire, which includes a pattern formed from a plurality of land portions, into plural parts, and by expressing each part by a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements, and by combining a plurality of the part models, and the second numerical computational model including a suspension model which expresses a suspension as a model formed from a large number of divisional elements;    second storing means for storing a program for analyzing performance of the patterned tire in a state in which the patterned tire is in use; and    analyzing means for analyzing, in accordance with the program, performance of the patterned tire in a state in which the patterned tire is in use by using, as one numerical computational model, the first numerical computational model and the second numerical computational model stored in the first storing means.    
     
     
         3 . A recording medium readable by a computer, wherein 
 a first numerical computational model including a tire model prepared by dividing a patterned tire, which includes a pattern formed from a plurality of land portions, into plural parts, and by expressing each part by a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements, and by combining a plurality of the part models;    a second numerical computational model including a suspension model which expresses a suspension as a model formed from a large number of divisional elements; and    a program for analyzing performance of the patterned tire in a state in which the patterned tire is in use by using, as one numerical computational model, the first numerical computational model and the second numerical computational model, are recorded on the recording medium.    
     
     
         4 . A method of simulating tire performance, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) preparing a tire model by dividing a patterned tire, which includes a pattern formed from a plurality of land portions, into plural parts, and by expressing each part by a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements, and by combining a plurality of the part models;    (b) preparing a wheel model which expresses a wheel as a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements;    (c) preparing a suspension model which expresses a suspension as a suspension model formed from a large number of divisional elements;    (d) preparing a model of a tire-wheel assembly by combining the wheel model with the tire model; and    (e) analyzing performance of the patterned tire in a state in which the patterned tire is in use, by using, as one numerical computational model, a first numerical computational model including the tire-wheel assembly and a second numerical computational model including the suspension model.    
     
     
         5 . The method of simulating tire performance of  claim 4 , wherein in the step (a), plural tire models of different types are prepared and in the step (b), plural wheel models of different types are prepared, and in the step (d), the model of a tire-wheel assembly is prepared by combining a wheel model selected from the plural wheel models with a tire model selected from the plural tire models.  
     
     
         6 . A method of simulating tire performance, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) preparing a tire model by dividing a patterned tire, which includes a pattern formed from a plurality of land portions, into plural parts, and by expressing each part by a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements, and by combining a plurality of the part models;    (b) preparing a wheel model which expresses a wheel as a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements;    (c) preparing a suspension model which expresses a suspension as a suspension model formed from a large number of divisional elements;    (d) preparing a vehicle body model which expresses a vehicle body as a part model formed from a large number of divisional elements;    (e) preparing a model of a tire-wheel assembly by combining the wheel model with the tire model; and    (f) analyzing performance of the patterned tire in a state in which the patterned tire is in use, by using, as one numerical computational model, a first numerical computational model including the tire-wheel assembly and a second numerical computational model obtained by combining the suspension model with the vehicle body model.    
     
     
         7 . The method of simulating tire performance of any of claims  1 ,  4 ,  5  and  6 , wherein the step (a) of preparing a tire model including the steps of: dividing a patterned tire into two parts, which are a pattern part and a tire-main-body part as a tire part other than the pattern part, and by expressing each part by apart model formed from a large number of divisional elements, and by combining the two part models.  
     
     
         8 . The method of simulating tire performance of  claim 7 , wherein the step (a) including the steps of: preparing plural part models of different types of the tire-main-body part; preparing plural part models of different types of the pattern part; and preparing the tire model by combining a part model selected from the plural part models of the tire-main-body part, with a part model selected from the plural part models of the pattern part.  
     
     
         9 . The method of simulating tire performance of  claim 7 , wherein the step (a) including the steps of: preparing a standard model as the part model of the tire-main-body part; preparing plural part models of different types of the pattern part; and preparing the tire model by combining the standard part model of the tire-main-body part, with a part model selected from the plural part models of the pattern part.  
     
     
         10 . The method of simulating tire performance of any of claims  1 ,  4  to  9 , wherein in the step of preparing a suspension model, plural suspension models of different types are prepared, and in the step of analyzing tire performance, the one numerical computational model is produced by combining the first numerical computational model with the second numerical computational model as a suspension model selected from the plural suspension models.  
     
     
         11 . The method of simulating tire performance of any of  claims 6  to  10 , wherein in the step of preparing the vehicle body model, plural vehicle body models of different types are prepared, and in the step of analyzing tire performance, the one numerical computational model is produced by combining the first numerical computational model with the second numerical computational model as a combination of the suspension model and a vehicle body model selected from the plural vehicle body models.  
     
     
         12 . The method of simulating tire performance of any of  claims 6  to  11 , wherein, in the vehicle body model, the vehicle is considered to be a rigid body.  
     
     
         13 . The method of simulating tire performance of any of  claims 4  to  12 , wherein, in the wheel model, the wheel is considered to be a rigid body.  
     
     
         14 . The method of simulating tire performance of any of claims  1 ,  4  to  13 , wherein the second numerical computational model includes a model selected from the group consisting of the suspension model, a model as the combination of the suspension model and the vehicle body model, a mechanism analysis model of a vehicle which considers a vehicle body and a suspension to be rigid bodies, and which takes only geometric movement of the rigid bodies into consideration, and a mechanism analysis model of a suspension which considers a suspension to be a rigid body, and which takes only geometric movement of the rigid body into consideration.  
     
     
         15 . The method of simulating tire performance of any of claims  1 ,  4  to  14 , wherein fluctuations in axial force at the time of riding-over the cleat, fluctuations in axial force in the vertical direction at the time of riding-over the cleat, a test of turning in a constant circle, a noise within a vehicle at a position near the head of the driver, when the vehicle was driven straight on a road surface for testing road noise, a lane change test, a braking test of the tire, or a test for determining the roll angle of the vehicle body while turning in a constant circle, are simulated.